Aleecia McDonald

Aleecia M. McDonald's research focuses on the public policy issues of Internet privacy, and includes user expectations for Do Not Track, behavioral economics and mental models of privacy, and the efficacy of industry self regulation. She co-chaired, and remains active in, the WC3’s Tracking Protection Working Group, an ongoing effort to establish international standards for a Do Not Track mechanism that users can enable to request enhanced privacy online. This effort brings together over 100 international stakeholders from industry, academia, civil society, privacy advocates, and regulators to reach an open, consensus-based multi-party agreement that will establish a baseline for what sites must do when they comply with an incoming request for user privacy. Aleecia’s decade of experience working in software startups adds a practical focus to her academic work, and she was a Senior Privacy Researcher for Mozilla (part-time, 2011-12,) while working for CIS as a Resident Fellow (part-time, 2011-12.) She holds a PhD in Engineering & Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon where she studied online privacy as a member of the Cylab Usable Privacy and Security (CUPS) research laboratory. Her findings have been featured in media outlets such as the Washington Post, Ars Technica, Free Press' Media Minute. She has presented findings in testimony to the California Assembly, and contributed to testimony before the United States Senate and the Federal Trade Commission.

This week I had a request for privacy information that went something like this:

I am starting a new project and expect people to search my name online. There are search results that give personal information about me, including my address, phone number, and weight. How can I get rid of those search results?

The Center for Internet and Society (CIS) at Stanford Law School launched a new online privacy initiative today called the “Cookie Clearinghouse,” which will empower Internet users to make informed choices about online privacy. The Cookie Clearinghouse is being spearheaded by Aleecia M. McDonald, the Director of Privacy at CIS.

"“There’s a Whac-A-Mole game that’s started in earnest,” said Aleecia McDonald, director of privacy at Stanford’s Center for Internet & Society."

"One aim of the Cookie Clearinghouse initiative at Stanford is to provide tools that prevent a company like Facebook from following users around the Web just because they chose to log into the social network, privacy researcher Jonathan Mayer pointed out."

"“If you visit one website, you have a whole bunch of other companies tracking you, as well, and then they’re tracking you on other websites, too, so they can continue to track you across the web,” McDonald described. “It’s like peekaboo, right? You have an entire world watching you and you just don’t know it.”"

"In an interview for this piece, the CCH’s new director, Aleecia McDonald, responded unequivocally, “The Cookie Clearinghouse approach does not block ads.” She continued, “The ideal online experience lets privacy-concerned users protect their privacy, and lets users who want a richly customized online experience gain those benefits. Rather than either/or, we are trying for both/and.”"

The Privacy Identity Innovation conference will focus on where innovation is heading, what it means for the future of privacy and identity, and how businesses can better build trust in the data-driven economy. Topics that will be explored at pii2013 include wearable tech, the Internet of Things, big data and mobile advertising and confirmed speakers include experts from LifeLock, Facebook, Microsoft, Mozilla, Forrester, Disney, Life360, Smart Things, AVG, Intel, the FTC, CDT and Stanford's Center for Internet of Society.

Peninsula Peace & Justice Center presents a conversation with Robert Scheer, author and journalist, and Aleecia McDonald, fellow at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, hosted by Paul George, Director of PPJC. Scheer is the author of "They Know Everything About You, How Data-Collecting Corporations and Snooping Government Agencies Are Destroying Democracy."

More than nine billion devices around the world are currently connected to the Internet, including computers and smartphones. That number is expected to increase dramatically within the next decade, with estimates ranging from quintupling to 50 billion devices to reaching one trillion. Please join us for a discussion of how the Internet of Things will impact the way we live, the way business is done and how resources are consumed.

As part of the Global Data Protection policy workshop at this year’s Privacy Identity Innovation conference, we hosted a session titled “Data Collection and Consent: Next Steps for Digital Advertising” that looked at the status of the do not track debate, what might happen going forward and the impact these efforts may have on consumers and companies.